Just as I said. Who needs sleep? It is 21 minutes after midnight and I start writing yet another chappy. Why so quickly? (30 mins ago I finished editing chapter). The most devastating thing that pushed me this far was probably seeing Garro viewing my notification (probably after reading the chapter). He was there good 5 minutes. The notification takes about 30-40 sec to read it. So I thought he is going to post some shit long report. But there was none. It broke my heart so here I am. You can say thank you to Garro later.

Edited by: KenChi死

* “Mister Zariel, I presume! It is my really good honor to meet you! I am Hieronymus Charles Nicolay Kleir!”

* “All of them at the same time?” I joked. Hanna and her friend standing near us chuckled. The man at the other hand looked a bit confused “Please, pardon me if I offended you. I am also really happy to meet someone, thanks to who I am not being hunted down by a Magician Extermination Unit… if you had one…”

* “Oh, no, no, no. It was really nothing. I barely supported Hanna’s theory saying that children shouldn’t be responsible for their ancestors crimes, while pointing out that we actually never had the possibility to truly study the nature of your race… as…well, they used to die before we could lay our hands on them…”

* “So I think you would like to make some interview with me, maybe performing some more or less complicated medical exams…”

* “No, no, no, no! I know that you value your peace and…”

* “I wouldn’t mind it.”

* “… asking you to do so would be… excuse me… what did you just say?”

* “That I would gladly repay for your kindness. Even more, I would like to know something more about myself too, and having someone called the greatest specialist in studying magical creatures as help… I think both of us would benefit.”

The man having appearance a bit grumpy, yet gentle grandpa was overjoyed. I have never seen someone so happy in my entire life… both of them.

* “Now, now, now. Stop right here, lad, or else Hieroni will get a heart attack.” The other woman chuckled “He is used for difficulties pilling under his feet, so as you offer him actual help he is lost and does not know what to do.” Those three looked pretty close to each another. Collages, friends? Party of adventurers? “My name is Lizara… and I was teaching your other… let’s call her friend… Ruby a little.” Nooow. That’s a name I haven’t heard in some time.

* “Is that so? Thank you for taking care of that blockhead. Hope she wasn’t to big of a problem for you. How was she doing?”

Lizara and Hanna exchanged glances quickly.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

* “She was useless. Especially at the beginning. Now she maybe will be able to keep herself alive for a day or two.”

* “Putting Lizaria’s speech into Human. She was pretty talented and thanks to Lizara training she is pretty skilled right now.” Hanna added.

I could sense that old miss is strong, but I couldn’t say how much. She is out of my radar.

* “I hope you will not find that offensive, but would you mined telling me how strong you are? And… how strong Daralon is? There is something… odd about air around you two.”

* “So you can tell? Nice sensing abilities. I would just let you know that it is not really polite to use power measuring spells on friends… and yes, I could tell you used them… But answering your question – me and this… man… Daralon I mean… are in ranking of top 10 most powerful humans currently living. But I have to warn you. He is fooling around… But never, simply never underestimate him.”

We talked till the very evening. I asked about as many things as I could, and they were eager to answer. About everything, politics, history, maps of the continent. But there was one question they couldn’t answer. What kind of personalities do the current Demon Lords that will fight to be the next Demon King or Queen.

The answer for this lays in the Grand Library – with limited access, or Grand Houses (nobles).

As we were parting our ways and I was heading back (under the guidance of Hanna – responsibility n stuff) to my new temporary sleeping location, she said.

* “I can’t wait to see what you have prepared for your Grand Entrance for Gathering.”

* “Scuse me?”

* “You know, this little tradition. The mage that would be attending in the Gathering for the first time is asked to enter with some kind of cool magical effect that would say something about his personality or magic. As Lizara entered for the first time… she froze the whole building… you were told about it, wern’t you?”

* “Of course!” not at all “I am simply a bit tired and haven’t heard you at first. Just watch me tomorrow I will make you proud” I smiled for the last time, we wished each other a good night and I shut the door.

CODEX!!!! I NEED SOMETHING BIG FOR TOMORROW! YOU BETTER HAVE SOMETHING PREPARED!             

~HAHA! Acting cool and all mighty and now you are in deep shit! BEG ME! And I shall consider lending part of my awesomeness to you…

I have a better idea, You will help me now so I will not start studying how to become a priest.

~… You are bluffing. You don’t even know where to start…

In the Grand Library of course! I will be a little help for a few Grand Houses, get them to support me and as I would get an access…

~You little fuck! Okay! This time you won! Sit on ur ungrateful ass, for I am going to show you something so awesome, that everyone is going to lose their minds… well, it is not that difficult… nor useful, actually its only purpose is to be “spectacular”… here we start…

The sun was high in the sky as yet another case was terminated from the agenda of Gathering. The chairman with a cough has cleaned his throat and began yet another speech:

* “Ladies and Getlemens, I think it is the time for the most awaited part of our meeting. As you know from Gathering that took place few month ago, a magician appeared. An extraordinary magician that in very same time is so-called artificial mage… and is said to be a creature known mostly from stories and archeological researches. Brothers and sisters in magic, let me introduce our special guest – The fire witch – Zariel.”

The really big gate was opened. And after a few seconds a lone raven flew in there and sat on one of the walls of the dom-shaped room. Hanna recognized the bird right away, it was Sebastian.

After a few more seconds, another completely jet black raven flew in, but this time he began to circle the room while flying. Two more flew in and joined his brother under the ceiling in his flight. In next moment eight more ravens joined them and then sixteen.  Within the minutes, high in the room the cacophony of ravens screams could be heard as the room was almost completely covered in the blackness of ravens.

And then a first raven nosedived in a completely straight line. As it was about to hit the floor it changed into a small cloud of dark mist. Soon after more and more ravens began to drop from the air making the mist cloud bigger and bigger till it achieve the size of a human. As there were no ravens left the mist began to shape into a hooded human with a traveling staff in hand. As for the last part of show Sebastian flew from the wall and landed on Zariel’s shoulder.

He stood there is silence, among the mess made by fallen raven’s feathers. After dramatically long pause he said:

* “Thank you for the introduction chairman, I am more than happy for the possibility of meeting the greatest magicians on the continent, I hope our conversation will be beneficial for all of us and I will be able to convince you, that the devil is not as scary as he is described.” I said while bowing.

The room where Gathering took place was shaped like an arena – Colosseum like. And now I was standing in the middle, for I was told that this is the place where the new ones are suppose to stand. It will not be the meeting with a cup of tea. This is going to be an interrogation.